Story by: Kim Huston on August 7, 2019
Turning 18 comes with a lot of milestones and new beginnings: graduating high school, becoming a legal adult and embarking on college or a career. One milestone young women should consider soon after they turn 18 is graduating from pediatric gynecological care to find a new OB/GYN provider who works with adults.
Pediatric gynecologists are specially trained for dealing with young girls and women and the challenges they face before, during and immediately after puberty. An OB/GYN who treats adult women is trained specifically to care for women during their childbearing years all the way through menopause. Much like high schoolers graduate to college or technical schools to continue education, you graduate from pediatric to adult health care to help keep you healthy for the rest of your life.
Prioritizing and making time for your health care is a responsibility you achieve when you reach adulthood. Finding an OB/GYN and keeping to a schedule of yearly well-woman visits can help you stay healthy. You’ll also have a physician to call if you have any issues.
It can be difficult leaving a relationship you’ve built with your pediatric gynecologist to find an adult OB/GYN. How do you even begin to pick a new provider? Consider making a checklist of your health needs and preferences by answering some questions:
Norton Children’s Gynecology in Louisville is the only practice in Kentucky dedicated to gynecological care of adolescents and young girls. The highly skilled pediatric and adolescent gynecologists at Norton Children’s Gynecology understand that girls and teens need care that’s designed just for them.
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Answering these questions can help guide your search for a new OB/GYN. Ask friends, family and others if they have OB/GYN recommendations.